Brexit – live: Theresa May warns EU withdrawal could be halted – as former Tory ministers tell MPs to vote down her deal

14/01/2019

Theresa May has warned parliament could block Brexit, as former Tory ministers wrote to MPs urging them vote down her deal on the eve of the meaningful vote. Speaking at a factory in Stoke on the day before MPs vote on her withdrawal agreement, the prime minister was due to claim some in Westminster will use “every device available…

Speaking at a factory in Stoke on the day before MPs vote on her withdrawal agreement, the prime minister was due to claim some in Westminster will use “every device available to them” to “delay or even stop Brexit”.

Ms May will add public faith in the democratic process and in politicians would suffer “catastrophic harm” if the result of the 2016 referendum was overruled.

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Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said that a no confidence motion against Theresa May was “not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.”

Let’s listen to the debate, let’s watch the balance of forces within Parliament itself. Those are the sort of judgments we will have to make. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. It’s just a matter of timing so watch this space over the next 24 hours.

A Labour MP has declared he will back Theresa May’s Brexit deal, warning the referendum result must be respected or the party will face “dire” consequences at the ballot box.

Sir Kevin Barron said the Prime Minister’s Withdrawal Agreement is the only option on the table that “truly enacts the promises that I made to my constituents and avoids the horror of a no-deal Brexit”.

Esther McVey told BBC Breakfast the civil service have been “working incredibly hard on no deal planning preparations”, adding that many of the fear stories do not exist.

We have got the licences in place so that medicines can come to and fro. We also know that because we will be in charge of our borders things will be imported into the country because we are in charge of that.

The Prime Minister has received “assurances” from the European Union and will seek to make a statement to the Commons today, Liam Fox has told BBC Radio 4’s Today.

The Prime Minister will seek to make a statement in the House of Commons today outlining the assurances she had had from the European Union following discussions over the last few days and I hope my colleagues will listen to those and recognise the best way forward is to support the Government’s agreement because it delivers on the referendum result and does so in a way that minimises the risks to our economy.

This bill would do the following: it would give the Government three more weeks to get a compromise deal, a plan B, through Parliament so that we are leaving the EU on time on March 29 with a deal.

If that failed, it would then ask the Liaison Committee, which is the committee of all the chairs of select committees and other parliamentary committees, it would give the Liaison Committee the responsibility to try and come up with its own compromise deal, which would have to go back to the House for a vote.

If the House passed that compromise deal, then the Government would be legally required to implement whatever it was that they had.

A trio of senior backbenchers will publish a bill tonight that would allow MPs to frame a “compromise” Brexit deal if Theresa May fails to come up with a plan B, former Tory minister Tory Nick Boles has revealed.

Welcome to The Independent‘s coverage of today’s events from Westminster.

Shehab.Khan

14 January 2019 07:59

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“What if we found ourselves in a situation where parliament tried to take the UK out of the EU in opposition to a Remain vote?” she is expected to say.

“People’s faith in the democratic process and their politicians would suffer catastrophic harm.”

Ms May’s warnings have been rejected by twelve former Tory ministers, believed to include Boris Johnson and former Brexit secretaries David Davis and Dominic Raab, who have written to MPs calling on them to vote down her proposals.

They argue that it will encourage the EU to come back to the negotiating table and if Brussels refuses to reopen talks then MPs should be prepared to leave without a deal.

Over 1,000 words long and reportedly sent to every Conservative MP, the letter warns of “dire” consequences at the ballot box Ms May’s deal is passed.

The Independent has launched its #FinalSay campaign to demand that voters are given a voice on the final Brexit deal.